SSP Around the World

This summer I have been interning at the Modern War Institute (MWI) at the US Military Academy at West Point, New York, a unique research institute which focuses on future and imminent developments in warfare, providing an intellectual resource for solving military problems. At the MWI, I am focusing on Urban Warfare, as part of the Institute’s new Urban Warfare Project launched in June, drafting a literature review on the subject, and building a small database with some exemplar case studies of urban wars, such as the battle of Stalingrad in WWII, the Siege of Sarajevo, the battle of Mogadishu, or the most recent battle of Mosul. I also assisted in minor organizational tasks for the upcoming War Studies Conference, hosted at West Point. At the beginning of the internship, I also had the possibility to attend lessons for the Academic Individual Advanced Development (AIAD) Course on the “Assessment of Hybrid Warfare in Russia’s ‘Near Abroad’: Evidence from Georgia”, which focused on the 2008 Russia-Georgia war and how it is an exemplar case of 21st century modern warfare. While this was an extra to my internship, I had the opportunity to sit in guest lectures (one featured Dr. John Mearsheimer) on Russian Grand Strategy, Hybrid Warfare, Information Warfare, and Cyber Warfare. Given that such classes were made for cadets, lessons included a good revision of International Relations theories.

Even though it goes without saying, at large, the US Military Academy at West Point has played a pivotal role in American history, and still does, since the American Revolutionary War, when the Continental Army occupied West Point in 1778 and built the Great Hudson River Chain to prevent British vessels from navigating upstream. The Academy has educated, trained and inspired individuals who have shaped history – US Presidents Ulysses S. Grant and Dwight D. Eisenhower, or Generals as George S. Patton and Stanley A. McChrystal to name a few – as well as those who will in years to come. The Academy hosts several institutes as the Modern War Institute (or the Combating Terrorism Center), whose aim is to bridge theory and practice. The most important aspect for me, in fact is that most of the large volume of reports, analyses, and commentaries produced by the MWI, have been written by the military staff, adding on-the-ground and technical experience to a purely academic vision. Such works not only have the power to inform key policymakers, but also ensure availability to the public. This is especially true for the Institute’s podcast (https://mwi.usma.edu/category/podcasts/).

I chose to intern at the Modern War Institute for three main reasons: first, while my concentration in SSP is Terrorism and Sub-State Violence, I wanted to step out of my ‘comfort zone’ and approach a different area, especially after having taken Grand Strategy and Military Operations and Counterinsurgency. Secondly, given the history of West Point, I wanted an opportunity to visit and experience the place – I had a chance to explore the campus, spend time at the Academy’s library and go to West Point’s museum a couple of times. This goes for the wider Hudson Valley area as well. Finally, being an international student, a work experience at the Modern War Institute at the US Military Academy could be a unique and a valuable asset, a good talking point for potential job interviews here in the United States.